Well, the celebrations have come and gone. All that is left to do is to give a brief report on how the events went.
FLIGHT TO ALERT
The festivities began on 02 Sep 08 when the lucky 23 Alert Vets gathered at the CFS Leitrim All Ranks Mess for a meet and greet. They got to renew some old acquaintances, meet some new people, and get briefed on the latest updates to timings regarding the flight north the next day. Personnel from Supply were also there to issue them with the arctic kit they needed to board the plane.
At 0545 on 03 Sep 08, the Alert Vets and the dignitaries (led by Brigadier General James Ferron, Director General Information Management Operations) met at Hangar 11 at the Ottawa airport. The mood was full of anticipation as they awaited the arrival of their Herc that was flying in from Trenton, enroute Alert.
By 0800 wheels were up and they were on their way. They stopped on schedule in Iqaluit for fuel and took off again. Shortly after they were airborne, a problem was noted with one of the de-icing valves on the aircraft. This forced them to turn around and return to Iqaluit to address the problem. The part was repaired, and off they went again. By now, however, the crew was running out of allowed flying hours and there was no chance of making it to Alert. Instead, they made their way to Resolute Bay to spend the night. Our motley crew of arctic travelers made the best of their detour and managed to enjoy their evening in Res.
On 04 Sep 08 they piled back onto the aircraft and once more headed for Alert. This time they managed to make it to their destination and received a warm welcome from the current cadre of the Frozen Chosen. While their time on site was drastically reduced due to their delays in arriving, Alert personnel worked hard to cram as much as possible into the little time they had on the ground. The official ceremonies included the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate 50 years of SIGINT operations and a mess dinner to celebrate the occasion.
At noon on 05 Sep they said goodbye to their newfound friends in Alert once more boarded the Herc, this time heading south. Their trip down went off as scheduled, arriving back in Ottawa around 2145 that night.
Despite the unavoidable brevity of their visit, all were very happy with having the opportunity to visit CFS Alert one more time.
CFS LEITRIM FESTIVITIES
The meet and greet was scheduled to begin at 1500 on Fri 12 Sep 08, but people began filing in during the noon hour. They were greeted at the door by currently serving personnel of the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group (CFIOG is the current version of the old Canadian Forces Supplementary Radio System or CFSRS) and by Supp Rad Old Timers.
The Commander of CFIOG, Colonel (Col) Greg Loos, spoke briefly to welcome everyone to the event. He pointed out that it was important to him not only because of his current position, but also because his father, Mr. George Loos, did two tours of Alert.
Those who had pre-registered received their package containing a nametag listing their Alert tour date(s), a copy of the book of Alert photographs, an Alert calendar, an Alert pin, and an Alert coin. By the end of the evening 590 people had paid their $20 and wandered through the doors of the mess. People spent the evening reminiscing with old friends, partaking in the tours of the Canadian Forces SIGINT Operations Center (CFSOC), checking out the Mobile Electronic Warfare Team’s (MEWT) Bison vehicle, visiting with the amateur (HAM) radio operators broadcasting on site, enjoying some of the Alert displays and slide shows, and keeping the bars hopping. Folks were still going strong at closing time, so it appears that a good time was had by all.
At 1300 on Sat 13 Sep 08, things got underway again. There were more tours of the CFSOC, more viewings of the MEWT, and lots more visiting with old friends. The official ceremonies began as scheduled at 1700. One unexpected item on the agenda was the appearance of a representative from the Ottawa mayor’s office, Mr. Ian Smith. He read a proclamation from the mayor, declaring Sat 13 Sep 08 as “CFS Alert Day” in the city of Ottawa.
Major General (MGen) Anthony Hines then spoke briefly about the efforts required of all the Frozen Chosen during the past 50 years. His comments also included thanking the families left behind to deal with life’s trials and tribulations without their loved ones. He then called upon the oldest member of the Alert Vets in attendance to assist him in unveiling the plaque. A spry 85 year-old Mr. Miller stepped forward and helped the general do the honours.
Next on the agenda was MGen Hines presenting framed copies of the Maple Leaf articles written by past Frozen Chosen members. Mr. Tom Stibernik, Mr. “Monty” Montgomery, Mr. Moe Beere and Mr. Earle Smith all received these mementos as thanks for their assistance in publicizing the celebrations.
MGen Hines then had the pleasure of presenting three Alert Vets with the Special Service Medal with the Alert bar for tours they had done prior to the honour coming into existence in 1992. Receiving their medals were Mr. Richard Paci who served in Alert in 1964, Mr. Ivan Barrette who did his tour in 1971, and Mr. Mike Juhas who completed four tours in 1959-60, 1969-70, 1977, and 1983.
The Commander of CFIOG, Colonel Greg Loos, then took the opportunity to add his congratulations to those who had received the presentations, as well as thanking those who organized the events.
After the ceremonies there was plenty of time remaining for more visiting and telling of tall tales till closing time.
GREELY LEGION BREAKFAST
A breakfast was served at the Greely Legion (former site of HMCS GLOUCESTER, the Communicator Research trade’s school before it moved to Canadian Forces Base Kingston in 1972) from 0900 – 1100 on Sun 14 Sep 08. The Ladies Auxiliary, assisted by members of the CFS Leitrim Army Cadet Corps fed a delicious meal to close to 200 people for the event.
Following breakfast, members of the Supp Rad Old Timers conducted a brief ceremony. The names of personnel from their organization who had passed away during the past year were read and a moment of silence was taken for them. Padre George Scharf, the padre for CFS Leitrim, also assisted with the ceremony.
Each year members of the Sup Rad Old Timers select one of their members to honour in conjunction with the re-dedication of the cairn located on the grounds of the Greely Legion. This year’s recipient was Commander Bill Hilliby who spent a large portion of his naval career within the CFSRS system, both as a non-commissioned member and a commissioned officer. His biography was read, and his photo was added to others who have been previously awarded this honour.
Col Loos was invited to say a few words to wrap up the weekend. His comments focused on the importance of the SIGINT mission both past and present, and on the brotherhood and close friendships that have been forged out of those who have so unselfishly served at CFS Alert through all these years. He stated that those close bonds were very apparent all weekend long.
CLOSING
And so it ends. On behalf of everyone who assisted in organizing and conducting the event, please let me pass along my sincere thanks to all of you who attended, as well as to those who assisted by sending in your photos, videos, artifacts, etc. The vast majority of the comments we received were very positive, so we will consider the events a success.
T.G. Jenkins
Captain
Alert 50th Committee Member
Email: jenkins.tg@forces.gc.ca
